The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also correspond to embodiments of the claimed subject matter.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) type communications represents a family of technologies used to provide broadband Internet access by transmitting digital data over the twisted pair telephone wires of a conventional telephone network. DSL service is commonly delivered simultaneously with wired telephone service on the same physical telephone line by utilizing higher frequency bands for data. Over time, the cables carrying the twisted pair telephone wires may become problematic in their operation, very often due to a defect in the cable carrying the twisted pair telephone wires. Such cable defects may negatively impact many customers of such DSL services simultaneously.
Conventional solutions for identifying cable faults include the use of Metallic Loop/Line Testing (MELT) functionality such as those described by TR-286 for verification of the subject line. A Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) may be enabled to carry out AC tests on the subject line but such tests are of limited value as they cannot identify the most common of line faults. Other past solutions include the coupling of DC test circuitry to the subject line to implement MELT testing functionality. Unfortunately, MELT testing results have generally proven to be insufficient to correctly identify line faults in the overwhelming majority of cases.
Improved technologies for identifying a problematic cable are needed to better optimize DSL communications as well as improve service to the customers that rely upon such DSL communication services.
The present state of the art may therefore benefit from systems, methods, and apparatuses for identifying cable-level faults in a copper plant of a DSL system as described herein.